Aid for Trade, which accounts for a third of total aid, has been effective in improving trade performance of developing countries, but there remain challenges. Whilst David Cameron was making the case for trade in Africa important discussions were taking place atthe 3rd Global Review of Aid for Trade.
This paper, based on speaking notes for Second Global Aid for Trade Review, 6-7 July 2009, focuses on the internal impediments to developing countries taking advantage of international trade. Aid for Trade therefore must take into acount domestic divides, This paper uses three examples from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Lesotho.
This paper uses statistical evidence to examine the effects of aid for trade on the costs of trading and on the level of and changes in exports.
This issue of Commonwealth Trade Hot Topics focuses on a specific group of developing countries – small and vulnerable economies (SVEs) – which has largely been neglected in the AfT debate, despite the special challenges these countries faced in their integration into the global economy.
This Economic Paper explains what Aid for Trade is, and how definitions have evolved over time. Using Tanzania as a case study it shows how different definitions lead to different estimates of the amount of Aid for Trade being delivered, and suggests an alternative simple and practical methodology for recipient countries to classify and quantify it.
A key motivation of the study is a lack of good quantitative evidence on 1) actual aid for trade in-country flows and 2) the possible effects of aid for trade.